Chapter 455: Heart Inquiry

The moment Lu Sangjiu finished speaking, she felt the person beside her suddenly turn over and pull her into an embrace.

Luo Linlang buried her face in Lu Sangjiu’s neck, her cheeks damp and her voice choked with sobs.

"Don’t die... Little Junior Sister, please wait for us, okay?"

Lu Sangjiu’s heart instantly melted.

Her bond with Luo Linlang was different from her relationships with anyone else.

It was closer, more like family.

Her eyes reddened as well. She gripped the forearm Luo Linlang had wrapped around her neck, her own voice heavy with emotion.

"Okay. Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I’ve always been hard to kill. I was even reborn after a Heavenly Tribulation back then, so I won’t die so easily now."

"Senior Sister, you, Senior Brother, and Master must all cultivate diligently. I’ll wait for you in the Upper Realm."

Luo Linlang nuzzled her head against Lu Sangjiu, her voice still a bit nasal, but she promised solemnly, "Okay. I’ll definitely cultivate as hard as I can to find you as soon as possible."

After bidding farewell to her friends, Lu Sangjiu delayed no further. She immediately found a scenic spot with clear waters and green mountains and began preparing for the Heavenly Tribulation of the Transcendance Tribulation Stage.

With the blessing of providence and her thorough preparations, Lu Sangjiu’s Tribulation Crossing went exceptionally smoothly this time.

And perhaps because she was already confident of the outcome, even Ji Li did not appear, as if he were quietly awaiting the day of her death.

Having returned to the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, Lu Sangjiu didn’t immediately go back to find Gu Jue. Instead, she wandered the world again, observing the myriad facets of mortal life to broaden her experience and calm her mind.

The Spirit Void Realm of today was free from the conflict between the two races and the machinations of conspirators with ulterior motives who sought to reshuffle the entire world. It was reassuringly peaceful.

And all of this was something Lu Sangjiu had fought for through countless hardships and dangers.

’This is the Spirit Void Realm I want to protect, always and forever.’

Therefore, whether for Xie Ningyuan or the Spirit Void Realm, she absolutely could not lose.

’Ji Li must die!’

Before heading to Kunlun, Lu Sangjiu returned to the Gold and Silver Gate one more time.

Xie Ningyuan still lay quietly inside the Moon Spirit Coffin, showing no sign of waking.

Lu Sangjiu kept watch by his side, muttering to herself for a long time, saying whatever came to mind.

She stayed for three full days. On the final day, she stood up and pressed a kiss to Xie Ningyuan’s forehead.

Then she placed the Memory Stone she had prepared into his hand and said with a light laugh, "Even if it’s just to buy me a little more time, you have to cultivate a bit slower for me, okay?"

"Even if we’re separated by two realms and miss each other, it’s still better than being separated by life and death the moment we meet again, right?"

"Give me a little time. Who knows, maybe I can get rid of Ji Li before your Ascension?"

"I’m going now... Goodbye, Xie Ningyuan."

After saying her final farewell, Lu Sangjiu had no more lingering attachments. She resolutely turned and vanished into the horizon.

At Kunlun Peak, as soon as Lu Sangjiu arrived, she heard Gu Jue’s voice in her mind.

Following his guidance, she quickly found the entrance to the small world and returned.

Gu Jue was sitting before the World Origin’s Crystal Stone as always, cultivating and undoing the seal, day after day.

Only when Lu Sangjiu arrived did he turn his head to glance at her.

He looked her up and down, then gave a faint nod. "Not bad. Your cultivation is stable."

"From now on, stay here until you are ready to undergo the Ascension Thunder Tribulation."

"You need only focus on your cultivation. I will handle everything else."

Lu Sangjiu nodded firmly and took a deep breath. "Then I’ll be troubling you, Mr. Gu!"

The time that followed was filled with day after day of cultivation, with almost no rest.

Lu Sangjiu herself lost track of how much time had passed. She only knew that as she consumed the Demon Essence Stones on her person and absorbed Spiritual Energy from the World Origin, her cultivation steadily grew.

Finally, her cultivation reached a critical point. She began to consolidate and restrain it, waiting only for the final burst.

She had already experienced an Ascension Thunder Tribulation once in her past life. After her rebirth, she had gone through so much more, including being dragged into the Thousand Leaf Bodhi Tribulation by Ye Zhiyao, where she lived through hundreds of lifetimes.

All of these experiences had tempered and solidified Lu Sangjiu’s current state of mind.

It was solid and unshakable.

At last, all preparations were complete. Within the small world, a Heavenly Tribulation began to brew in the sky.

After so much time, the seal on the World Origin had been mostly undone, with only a small bit remaining that needed more time to be worn away.

However, its current power was sufficient to block Ji Li’s perception.

Gu Jue quickly distanced himself from her. Then, forming a seal with his hands, he simultaneously guided the Heavenly Tribulation toward her and temporarily shielded her from Ji Li’s senses.

As the first bolt of the Heavenly Tribulation struck, Gu Jue watched the figure submerged in the lightning’s glare and murmured softly, "The rest... is up to you."

The Heavenly Tribulation was undoubtedly agonizing. Lu Sangjiu’s body was destroyed and reforged again and again by the lightning. When the nine bolts of the tribulation finally ended, what awaited her was the final Heart Inquiry.

"There are three questions to the Heart Inquiry. First, do you harbor any guilt in your heart?"

In an instant, her entire life flashed before her eyes like a fleeting glimpse of galloping horses. Every single soul that had died by her hand appeared before her with stark clarity.

Amidst their questions and cries, she saw Ye Zhiyao, she saw He Guang and Fu Ling, and even countless others whose names she couldn’t even remember.

Faced with their twisted, hateful gazes and accusations, Lu Sangjiu remained as immovable as a mountain. With a firm will, she spat out two words: "I don’t."

In life, there might always be regrets, always moments where one fails to achieve perfection. But Lu Sangjiu was certain that every choice she made was the best possible one at that moment.

She had no regrets about the people she had killed, nor did she feel any guilt.

Following her answer, the phantoms quickly dissipated, and the second question came.

"Second, do you have any obsessions in your heart that you cannot let go of?"

Her memories flashed back again. Lu Sangjiu saw Bai Sheng, who had died before her eyes long ago. That death had once been an obsession she couldn’t let go of for many years.

But looking at it now, she felt perfectly calm.

Bai Sheng had also made what she believed was the best choice for herself. The moment of death might have been painful, might have been filled with regret, but there was surely no remorse.

Everyone has their own life to live. Lu Sangjiu couldn’t interfere with others; she should respect their choices and wish them well.

’There’s nothing to be obsessed about.’

As Bai Sheng faded away, Lu Sangjiu saw Ji Li.

’Is killing Ji Li considered my obsession?’

Lu Sangjiu asked herself this. A moment later, she smiled and silently refuted the idea.

The desire to kill Ji Li was for the sake of survival. If Ji Li weren’t standing in her way, she couldn’t be bothered to make an enemy of him.

So, it wasn’t an obsession, merely a necessary path she had to walk.

As Ji Li dispersed, the final question arrived.

"Third, do you possess a steadfast Dao heart, determined to walk to the end of the Great Dao?"

In an instant, many temptations appeared before Lu Sangjiu’s eyes.

People, objects—each one beckoned her to stay.

Lu Sangjiu felt like a mortal of flesh and blood, walking a road filled with temptations. She forgot the time, forgot who she was; only a voice in her heart kept telling her:

’Walk forward. Do not stop...’